This invention is an improvement over conventional planermills in that it obtains and executes a unique optimized solution for each workpiece in such a manor as to maximize value by controlling and maximizing throughput, controlling and maximizing yield, controlling and maximizing grade, and controlling and maximizing the performance of all the devices in the main planermill production line.
A conventional planermill is an integrated system of equipment, controls and personnel that are used primarily to:                reduce rough workpieces into finished workpieces with a desired cross-sectional profile,        grade workpieces according to size, grade and length,        mark or label workpieces with the appropriate information, and        sort workpieces according to size (width and thickness), grade and length.        
FIG. 1 shows a plan of a typical conventional planermill. In this example, a tilt hoist delivers rough workpieces in basically sheet form onto a smooth workpiece transfer device. The rough workpieces are conveyed by the smooth transfer device to a linear acceleration device. Once at this linear acceleration device, the rough workpieces are accelerated both linearly towards the planer and transversely by spiral rollers or by a transverse acceleration device to a reference straight edge. The rough workpieces are fed onto a planer infeed transport device in an end-to-end fashion (ends butted together) and on into the planer machine. The guiding and cutting elements within the planer are set in fixed positions during operation. In this example, the guiding and cutting elements are set up to remove a fixed amount of material from the bottom and light hand side of each rough workpiece. The amount of material removed from the top and left hand side of the rough workpiece is dependant upon the actual size of each rough workpiece (see FIG. 2). The finished workpieces leave the planer machine and are decelerated on a slowdown belt or belts before being deposited onto a smooth top transfer device and fed into a lug loader which singulates (or separates into individual pieces) the finished workpieces and places each into a lug space on a lug transfer. Each finished workpiece is graded by a graderperson or persons for visual defects, strength estimate, overall grade, and finished length. Each graderperson marks a grade symbol and a near or far end trim request on each workpiece. The workpieces travel under a grade mark reader that reads the grade and trim request symbols on the workpieces. The grade mark reader sends this information to the trimmer/sorter control system which in turn instructs the trimmer fence and trimmer to position and trim the workpiece accordingly. After the workpieces are trimmed, they are even-ended (positioned with ends in line) by rollers and passed tinder a grade stamp machine which is instructed by the trimmer/sorter control system to stamp each workpiece accordingly. From here the workpieces transfer to a sorter where they are sorted into separate lots according to the size, grade and length. This sorting operation is controlled by the trimmer/sorter control system in response to the original grade and trim request of the graderperson. In current state-of-the-art conventional planermill systems a workpiece interrogator is sometimes used after the planer to assist the graderperson or persons with trim decisions. Currently trim decisions performed within the control system are based solely on the geometric profiles of individual finished workpieces.
Items (a) through (k) below describe the components within a conventional planermill.
(a) Conventional Planermill Tilt Hoist
The conventional planermill tilt hoist is a device that takes a emit or stack of rough workpieces and delivery them onto the smooth transfer deck in basically a sheet of workpieces.
(b) Conventional Planermill Smooth Work Piece Transfer Device
The conventional planermill smooth workpiece transfer device carries the sheet of workpieces to other devices in the planer infeed system. The smooth workpiece transfer device is usually made up of multiple strands of smooth top chain running in troughs spaced along the length of the sheet of workpieces providing support and transportation for the workpieces.
(c) Conventional Planermill Transverse Acceleration Device
A conventional planermill transverse acceleration device is any device that accelerates the workpiece away from the smooth workpiece transfer device and delivers it to the linear acceleration device.
(d) Conventional Planermill Linear Acceleration Device
A conventional planermill linear acceleration device is any device that accepts a workpiece from a transverse acceleration device and/or a smooth top transfer and accelerates the workpiece linearly (substantially along the length axis of the workpiece) towards the planer infeed.
(e) Conventional Planermill Planer Infeed Transport Device
A conventional planermill planer infeed transport device is any device that accepts a workpiece generally linearly along the length axis of the workpiece from at least one and possibly multiple linear acceleration devices and conveys or transports the workpieces from the linear acceleration device or devices to the infeed end of the planer.
(f) Conventional Planermill Planer
A planer within a conventional planermill is a device used primarily to reduce rough workpieces into finished workpieces with a desired cross-sectional profile.
(g) Conventional Planermill Lug Loader
The conventional planermill lug loader is used to take the workpieces from a sheet of workpieces on a smooth transfer deck and place them into lug spaces on a lug transfer.
(h) Conventional Planermill Lug Transfer
A conventional planermill lug transfer is a conveyor made up of numerous strands of chain containing lugs attached at fixed intervals which push the workpieces forward and keep them singulated (traveling individually).
(i) Conventional Planermill Trimmer
A conventional planermill trimmer is a device used to position and trim to length a workpiece based on the trim decision made by the graderperson and contained within the trimmer/sorter control system. The trim decision may also be determined or partially determined with the information from a workpiece interrogator located after the planer.
(j) Conventional Planermill Grade Marker
A conventional planermill grade marker is a device used to mark each workpiece with the appropriate grade and identification information. This information corresponding to each workpiece is assigned by the graderperson and contained within the trimmer/sorter control system.
(k) Conventional Planermill Sorter
A conventional planermill sorter is a device used to sort each workpiece to the correct pathway depending on the grade and trim length information stored within the trimmer/sorter control system.
Applicant is aware of the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,761,979; 4,239,072; 4,449,557; 5,816,302; 5,853,038; 5,946,995; and 5,884,682.